Outdoor unit

ABSTRACT

An outdoor unit includes a casing including a blower chamber and a machine chamber, a left side panel having a first opening and defining a side surface of the casing adjacent to the blower chamber, and a first grip attached to the left side panel. The first grip is located inside an edge of the first opening in the side view of the casing and is located inside an outer surface of the left side panel.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a U.S. national stage application of International Application No. PCT/JP2014/083969, filed on Dec. 22, 2014, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an outdoor unit.

BACKGROUND

Some known outdoor units include a handgrip disposed on a left side plate constituting part of a casing (see, for example, Patent Literature 1). An outdoor unit described in Patent Literature 1 includes a handgrip attached to a left side plate such that the handgrip protrudes from the left side plate.

PATENT LITERATURE

-   Patent Literature 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application     Publication No. 2006-284043

Disadvantageously, the protrusion of the handgrip from the left side plate results in poor design quality of the outdoor unit described in Patent Literature 1.

SUMMARY

The present invention has been made in view of the above problem and is directed to an outdoor unit with higher design quality than the related art.

The present invention provides an outdoor unit including: a casing including inside a blower chamber and a machine chamber; a left side panel having a first opening and defining a side surface of the casing adjacent to the blower chamber; and a first grip attached to the left side panel. The first grip is located inside an edge of the first opening in a side view of the casing and being located inside an outer surface of the left side panel.

According to the present invention, the first grip is located inside the edge of the first opening in a side view of the casing and is located inside the outer surface of the left side panel. This enables the outdoor unit to have higher design quality than the related art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a left side view of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a left side panel 50 l and the inside of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the left side panel 50 l and the inside of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a right side view of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a right side panel 50 r and the inside of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the right side panel 50 r and the inside of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a front view of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a front view of the inside of a casing 50 of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a top view of the inside of the casing 50 of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a top view of the inside of the casing 50 of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a first grip 40 l of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a side view of the first grip 40 l of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a plan view of the first grip 40 l of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a front view illustrating the first grip 40 l of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An air-conditioning apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional relationship among components in the drawings may differ from the actual ones. Furthermore, note that components designated by the same reference numerals in the drawings are the same components or equivalents. The above notes are intended to be common throughout this specification. Furthermore, note that the forms of components described in the specification are intended to be illustrative only and are not intended to be limited to the descriptions.

Embodiment 1

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the outdoor unit 100 includes a casing 50 constituting a shell. The casing 50 includes a bottom panel 50 b (FIG. 5), a rear panel 50 e (FIG. 5), a front panel 50 f, a left side panel 50 l, a right side panel 50 r, and a top panel 50 t.

The bottom panel 50 b is a member defining a bottom surface of the casing 50. The rear panel 50 e is a member defining a rear surface of the casing 50. The front panel 50 f is a member defining a front surface of the casing 50. The left side panel 50 l is a panel defining a left side surface of the casing 50. The right side panel 50 r is a member defining a right side surface of the casing 50. The top panel 50 t is a member defining a top surface of the casing 50. The front panel 50 f and the left side panel 50 l may be integral with each other or may be separate members. The casing 50 accommodates various components included in the outdoor unit 100.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the casing 50 accommodates a partition 1, a compressor 11, an electric component box 12, an outdoor heat exchanger 21, a fan 22, and a fan motor 23. The partition 1 divides the interior of the casing 50 into a machine chamber 10 and a blower chamber 20. The machine chamber 10 houses the compressor 11 and the electric component box 12. The blower chamber 20 houses the outdoor heat exchanger 21, the fan 22, and the fan motor 23.

The compressor 11 compresses refrigerant into a high temperature, high pressure refrigerant state and discharges the refrigerant. The electric component box 12 receives various components necessary for operating the outdoor unit 100. The electric component box 12 houses, for example, a control unit (not illustrated).

The outdoor heat exchanger 21 is, for example, a heat exchanger having an L-shape in plan view. The outdoor heat exchanger 21 is disposed so as to extend along the left side panel 50 l and the rear panel 50 e. The outdoor heat exchanger 21 is disposed more rearward of the outdoor unit 100 than the fan 22 and the fan motor 23. The outdoor heat exchanger 21 functions as an evaporator in a heating operation and functions as a condenser in a cooling operation.

The fan 22 is a blower unit, such as a propeller fan. When the fan 22 is rotated, outdoor air is introduced into the casing 50 from a rear side of the casing 50 and the introduced air is then discharged out of the casing 50 to a front side of the casing 50. The fan motor 23 is a driving unit for rotating the fan 22.

The control unit controls the fan motor 23 to regulate a rotation speed of the fan 22. Regulating the rotation speed of the fan 22 regulates the flow rate of air passing through the outdoor heat exchanger 21. The control unit includes hardware, such as a circuit device for achieving this function, or software that is implemented on a microcomputer or an arithmetic unit, such as a CPU.

The control unit controls the fan motor 23 to rotate the fan 22, thus allowing the air introduced into the casing 50 from the rear side of the casing 50 to exchange heat with the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 21. The air that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 21 is discharged to the front side of the casing 50.

FIG. 5 is a left side view of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the left side panel 50 l and the inside of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the left side panel 50 l and the inside of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

As illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 7, the left side panel 50 l has a first opening 501 l. Referring to FIG. 7, a first grip 40 l is disposed in the first opening 501 l. The first grip 40 l is located inside an edge of the first opening 501 l in a side view of the casing 50 and is also located inside the periphery of the top panel 50 t in plan view of the casing 50. The first grip 40 l will be described in detail later. Each of the first grip 40 l and the left side panel 50 l may include an engagement member and the first grip 40 l may be attached to the left side panel 50 l by these engagement members. The first grip 40 l may be attached to the left side panel 50 l with a member, such as a screw.

The first opening 501 l is formed by, for example, bending part of the left side panel 50 l in a thickness direction of the left side panel 50 l. Specifically, the first opening 501 l is formed by, for example, bending part of the left side panel 50 l in a direction from an outer surface of the left side panel 50 l to an inner surface thereof. The first opening 501 l is formed by, for example, burring the left side panel 50 l. For example, the first opening 501 l has a substantially rectangular shape such that the edge has four rounded corners.

FIG. 8 is a right side view of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the right side panel 50 r and the inside of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the right side panel 50 r and the inside of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

As illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 10, the right side panel 50 r has a second opening 50 r 1. Referring to FIG. 10, a second grip 40 r is disposed in the second opening 50 r 1. The second opening 50 r 1 is located under the top panel 50 t. The second grip 40 r is located inside an edge of the second opening 50 r 1 in a side view of the casing 50 and is also located inside the periphery of the top panel 50 t in plan view of the casing 50. Each of the second grip 40 r and the right side panel 50 r may include an engagement member and the second grip 40 r may be attached to the right side panel 50 r by these engagement members. The second grip 40 r may be attached to the right side panel 50 r with a member, such as a screw.

The right side panel 50 r has a power panel opening 50E. The power panel opening 50E is used to place a power panel 30. The power panel 30 is disposed under the second opening 50 r 1. The power panel 30 is located inside an edge of the power panel opening 50E in a side view of the casing 50 and is also located inside the periphery of the top panel 50 t in plan view of the casing 50. A power cover 31 is attached to the right side panel 50 r. The power cover 31 is disposed such that the power cover 31 is not located outside an outer surface of the right side panel 50 r. The power cover 31 covers the power panel opening 50E to prevent the power panel 30 from being visible when, for example, the outer surface of the right side panel 50 r is viewed.

The second opening 50 r 1 is formed by, for example, bending part of the right side panel 50 r in a thickness direction of the right side panel 50 r. Specifically, the second opening 50 r 1 is formed by, for example, bending part of the right side panel 50 r in a direction from the outer surface of the right side panel 50 r to an inner surface thereof. The second opening 50 r 1 is formed by, for example, burring the right side panel 50 r. For example, the second opening 50 r 1 has a substantially rectangular shape such that the edge has four rounded corners.

As described above, in Embodiment 1, the right side panel 50 r has the power panel opening 50E and the second opening 50 r 1 which are separate from each other. In addition, for example, the same opening may be used as both the power panel opening 50E and the second opening 50 r 1. This facilitates molding of the right side panel 50 r.

FIG. 11 is a front view of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a front view of the inside of the casing 50 of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a top view of the inside of the casing 50 of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a top view of the inside of the casing 50 of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, the first grip 40 l and the second grip 40 r are arranged at different levels in a top-bottom direction of the casing 50. Typically, the weight of components arranged in the machine chamber 10 is greater than that in the blower chamber 20. The center of gravity of the outdoor unit 100 may accordingly be located close to the right side panel 50 r of the casing 50. The first grip 40 l is disposed more upward of the casing 50 than the second grip 40 r in consideration of the above-described circumstances. This arrangement, in which the first grip 40 l is disposed more upward of the casing 50 than the second grip 40 r, allows a worker to carry the outdoor unit 100 easier than an outdoor unit constructed such that the first grip 40 l and the second grip 40 r are arranged at the same level in the top-bottom direction of the casing 50. Note that the weight of the components in the machine chamber 10 is greater than that in the blower chamber 20 because of, for example, the weight of the compressor 11 disposed in the machine chamber 10.

Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, the first grip 40 l and the second grip 40 r are arranged at different positions in a front-rear direction of the casing 50. Specifically, for example, the first grip 40 l is disposed more rearward of the casing 50 than the second grip 40 r. In other words, the first grip 40 l is disposed more rearward in the casing than the second grip 40 r in the direction from the front panel 50 f to the rear panel 50 e. This arrangement, in which the first grip 40 l is disposed more rearward of the casing 50 than the second grip 40 r, allows the worker to carry the outdoor unit 100 easier than an outdoor unit constructed such that the first grip 40 l and the second grip 40 r are arranged at the same position in the front-rear direction of the casing 50.

The shape of each of the first opening 501 l and the second opening 50 r 1 is not limited to a substantially rectangular shape. The first opening 501 l and the second opening 50 r 1 may have various shapes.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the first grip 40 l of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 16 is a side view of the first grip 40 l of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 17 is a plan view of the first grip 40 l of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 18 is a front view of the first grip 40 l of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

As illustrated in FIGS. 15 to 18, the first grip 40 l includes a protrusion 40 l 1 and a cavity 40 l 2. For example, the protrusion 40 l 1 is substantially U-shaped in a side view of the first grip 40 l. The cavity 40 l 2 is configured so that, for example, the worker can insert his or her hand into the cavity 40 l 2 when carrying the outdoor unit 100. The first grip 40 l is attached to the left side panel 50 l such that curved part of the protrusion 40 l 1 is located closest to a plane including the outer surface of the left side panel 50 l. Although the structure of the first grip 40 l is described with reference to FIGS. 15 to 18, the second grip 40 r has the same structure as that of the first grip 40 l.

An example of assembling the outdoor unit 100 will now be described. The worker arranges the various components to be received in the casing 50, attaches the first grip 40 l to the left side panel 50 l, attaches the second grip 40 r to the right side panel 50 r, and then attaches the panels constituting the casing 50. After assemblage of the outdoor unit 100, for example, the worker grips the first grip 40 l and the second grip 40 r, lifts the outdoor unit 100 up, and carries the outdoor unit 100 while gripping the first grip 40 l and the second grip 40 r.

As described above, the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 is the outdoor unit 100 that includes the casing 50 including the blower chamber 20 and the machine chamber 10, the left side panel 50 l having the first opening 501 l and defining a side surface of the casing 50 adjacent to the blower chamber 20, and the first grip 40 l attached to the left side panel 50 l. The first grip 40 l is located inside the edge of the first opening 501 l in a side view of the casing 50 and is also located inside the outer surface of the left side panel 50 l. Accordingly, the first grip 40 l does not protrude from the outer surface of the left side panel 50 l. This enables the outdoor unit 100 to exhibit higher design quality than the related art.

Additionally, the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 is the outdoor unit 100 that includes the casing 50 including the blower chamber 20 and the machine chamber 10, the right side panel 50 r having the second opening 50 r 1 and defining a side surface of the casing 50 adjacent to the machine chamber 10, and the second grip 40 r attached to the right side panel 50 r. The second grip 40 r is located inside the edge of the second opening 50 r 1 in the side view of the casing 50 and is also located inside the outer surface of the right side panel 50 r. Accordingly, the second grip 40 r does not protrude from the outer surface of the right side panel 50 r. This enables the outdoor unit 100 to exhibit higher design quality than the related art.

In addition, since the first opening 501 l is formed by bending part of the left side panel 50 l, a reduction in strength of the left side panel 50 l can be suppressed. Similarly, since the second opening 50 r 1 is formed by bending part of the right side panel 50 r, a reduction in strength of the right side panel 50 r can be suppressed.

In addition, the first grip 40 l is located inside the outer surface of the left side panel 50 l. Therefore, assuming that the first grip 40 l is made of resin and the left side panel 50 l is made of a metal sheet, this arrangement can reduce a likelihood that the first grip 40 l and the left side panel 50 l may be exposed to sunlight and only the first grip 40 l may discolor. This can reduce a likelihood that the first grip 40 l may discolor over time after installation of the outdoor unit 100 at a predetermined position and the design quality of the outdoor unit 100 may accordingly be degraded.

Similarly, the second grip 40 r is located inside the outer surface of the right side panel 50 r. Assuming that the second grip 40 r is made of resin and the right side panel 50 r is made of a metal sheet, this arrangement can reduce a likelihood that the second grip 40 r and the right side panel 50 r may be exposed to sunlight and only the second grip 40 r may discolor. This can reduce a likelihood that the second grip 40 r may discolor over time after installation of the outdoor unit 100 at a predetermined position and the design quality of the outdoor unit 100 may accordingly be degraded.

In addition, since the first grip 40 l is located inside the outer surface of the left side panel 50 l and the second grip 40 r is located inside the outer surface of the right side panel 50 r, this arrangement can reduce a likelihood that persons may come into contact with the first grip 40 l and the second grip 40 r of the outdoor unit 100 installed at a predetermined position, in contrast to the related art.

In addition, since the first grip 40 l is located inside the outer surface of the left side panel 50 l and the second grip 40 r is located inside the outer surface of the right side panel 50 r, for example, a user will not be annoyed when seeing the outdoor unit 100, in contrast to the related art. 

1-2. (canceled)
 3. An outdoor unit comprising: a casing including inside a blower chamber and a machine chamber; a left side panel having a first opening and defining a side surface of the casing adjacent to the blower chamber; a right side panel having a second opening and defining a side surface of the casing adjacent to the machine chamber; a first grip attached to the left side panel; and a second grip attached to the right side panel, the first grip being located inside an edge of the first opening in a side view of the casing and being located inside an outer surface of the left side panel, the first grip being disposed more rearward of the casing than the second grip such that the first grip and the second grip are arranged at different positions in a front-rear direction of the casing, the second grip being located inside an edge of the second opening in a side view of the casing and being located inside an outer surface of the right side panel.
 4. The outdoor unit of claim 3, wherein the first grip is disposed more upward of the casing than the second grip.
 5. (canceled)
 6. The outdoor unit of claim 3, wherein the first opening is formed by bending part of the left side panel in a thickness direction of the left side panel.
 7. The outdoor unit of claim 3, wherein the second opening is formed by bending part of the right side panel in a thickness direction of the right side panel. 